Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins vs. Seahawks: 5 things you may not know

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks will face off for the 14th time in the history of the two clubs. The opening weekend game takes Miami cross-country to open the season.

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The first game between the two clubs was in 1977 a year after Seattle was awarded the expansion franchise. While the history between the two clubs isn’t as rich as some of the other teams that Miami has faced, the two have some history.

Here is a look at five things that you may not know about the Seattle Seahawks.

AFC

The Seahawks were originally a member of the AFC West. In 2002 the NFL realigned the divisions due to an expansion franchise.

The Houston Texans joined the NFL in 2002. Previously the league had an odd number of teams, 31. The AFC Central had six teams as a result of the Cleveland Browns rejoining the NFL. As part of the realignment that sent Jacksonville, Houston, and Tennessee to the newly created AFC South, the Indianapolis Colts would leave their long time home in the AFC East for the South as well.

On the West Coast the shake up of the leagues divisions were also being felt. Due to the addition of an additional AFC team that would then put two more teams on the AFC side, the NFL agreed to move the Seahawks from the AFC West to the NFC West.

Following the 2001 season the NFL boasted four divisions in each conference instead of three.

Sep 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll looks on in the game against the St. Louis Rams during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Pete Carroll

To many Miami Dolphins fans, Pete Carroll is known not as the coach of the Seattle Seahawks but as the former classless head coach of the New York Jets.

For four seasons from 1990 to 1993 Pete Carroll led the Jets defense as the teams defensive coordinator. He became head coach in 1994 and was fired following the season.

In the second to last game of the NFL season, the Dolphins trailed the Jets with just over 2:30 left in regulation. The Dolphins scored a touchdown to pull within one but Pete Stoyanovich would miss the extra point.

Carroll Rushed off the sideline holding his throat indicating that Stoyanovich had choked.

It would be the Dolphins however who would get the last laugh as Miami would get the ball back and drive the field giving Stoyanovich a chance to win the game with a 37 yard field goal.

The Dolphins won.

Oct 5, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll interacts with his players during pre game warmups against the Detroit Lions at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Pete Carroll

Things could have been a lot different for the Miami Dolphins if Wayne Huizenga had his way. In 2008 then owner Wayne Huizenga flew to Costa Rica in an attempt to lure Pete Carroll to Miami to succed Nick Saban.

The Dolphins were starting to turnaround but still lacked key pieces on both sides of the ball. Carroll was at the time the head coach at USC. Huizenga failed to lure Carroll who was nonetheless impressed with what Huizenga was offering.

Carroll was rumored to have been offered full control over the team including all personnel decisions. After Carroll turned down Huizenga, something Huizenga was not used to, the Dolphins owner hired Cam Cameron.

Cameron of course failed miserably in Miami and his once promising career in the NFL nose-dived after a stint as OC with the Ravens.

In 2010 Carroll would leave the college ranks and return to the NFL staying on the West Coast where he became the Seahawks head coach.

Sep 13, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Miami Dolphins tight end Jordan Cameron (84) makes a diving catch past Washington Redskins free safety Trenton Robinson (34) during the second half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Jordan Cameron

Miami Dolphins tight end Jordan Cameron could attribute a lot of his NFL success to his former college head coach. Who happens to be Pete Carroll.

From 2008-2009 Carroll coached Cameron at USC. Speaking with reporters ahead of Sunday’s game, Cameron had this to say about his former head coach.

“I never thought I’d be playing football ever again after high school,” Cameron said. “Long story short, he’s the reason I’m playing now. He recruited me. I guess he has a lot to do with my whole career. It’s going to be cool playing against him. I played against him my rookie year, so I’m familiar with it and I know he’s going to get those guys right and they’re going to be ready to roll.” via MiamiDolphins.com

Cameorn has not looked very good this pre-season but the Seahawks haven’t exactly seen anything good out of Jimmy Graham.

In a twist of irony each of the team’s top tight-ends are from opposite sides of the country. Cameron went to school at USC and Graham went to college at Miami University.

From one corner to the other

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to look at a map and realize that no other path is longer in the U.S. out of Miami. Unless you drove to Alaska. Seattle is the only NFL team in the Pacific Northwest.

To get to Seattle from Miami if you were driving you would travel 3,299 miles which equates to 45 hours of drive time.

By driving you would cross 14 of the 50 states. The secondary route would cover 13 states. While traveling the border of Iowa and Nebraska you would zig-zag between the two states 8 times.

It would take you longer to drive through Montana than any other state.

The trip will be the longest the Dolphins make this season although they will travel to both Los Angeles and San Diego